Sony Welcomes First PS3 Buyers

We'll bet you wish you were there for the free TVs.

It's not uncommon for publishers and hardware makers to give out tchotchkes of some sort at the launch of their new products, but Sony took that idea to its extreme last night, giving away free HD TVs to the hundred or so people in line at the official venue for the UK launch of the PlayStation 3.

Ritatsu Thomas arrived at the flagship Virgin Megastore on London's Oxford Street on Wednesday morning and spent the next day-and-a-half fending off reporters, in between snatching a few hours of sleep during his overnight stay in the store.

As Thursday turned to Friday, Thomas's resilience paid off as the 17-year-old picked up the first PS3 officially to go on sale in the UK, amid a storm of flashes and reporters' howls.

In addition to 46-inch TVs, Thomas and the rest of the launch goers got a free cab ride home, to protect them and their purchases from muggings police had warned about earlier in the week.

On the continent, meanwhile, Sony faced a mixed reception. In Paris, event organizers prepared for hundreds of people who never turned up for the launch, reports Next Generation. Microsoft did stick its foot in, though, sailing a boat with a love note from the company past Sony's event.

Microsoft was in the spotlight for different reasons in Germany. According to a report at Kotaku, at one launch event, Xbox 360 owners were given free PS3s for destroying their Xbox 360s on stage.

Shenanigans aside, the launch is a big one for Sony, which has earned much bad press over the past six months, not least of which because of the delay of the European launch of the console.

Despite this, Sony's Phil Harrison emphasised on the night that Europe was no second-class citizen.

"This is the third continent out of three, but it is the most important," Harrison told GamesIndustry at the event. "It's got most countries, it's the most people, it's the most cultures.

"The fact that we've got the launch here with more consoles shipped on day one that we've ever had in our history is a compliment to the importance of the European market."

Sony could use a hit. Up to now, sales have not been spectacular. In the US, both the Wii and the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 in February despite Sony's console being widely available now.

Will Europe be Sony's new star? The company is sure to crow about its results next week.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo